KUALA
LUMPUR Nov 26 - The merit system to be implemented in public
higher learning institutions (IPTA) from the 2002/2003 session
will also cover students now in IPTAs, the Dewan Negara was
told today.

Education
Minister Tan Sri Musa Mohamed said that students now in IPTAs
were required to obtain a grade point average (GPA) of two
and above for each semester.

"If
they fail to obtain the minimum grade, their study loans will
be suspended until they manage to score the required grade,"
he said in reply to Senator Melati Ali during question time.

Musa
said that Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) holders
applying for places in IPTAs would be required to have at
least three principals compared to two principals previously.

"The
higher minimum qualification applies to all courses offered
by the IPTA besides supporting marks for entry which will
be increasingly higher each year," he said.

Musa
said that the move would hopefully induce the students to
concentrate on their studies and strive harder to attain excellence.

Replying
to Senator Ghazi Ramli, Musa said that following the implementation
of the merit system, marks given for co-curricular activities
would only be taken into account in the event that two or
more applicants had similar academic qualifications.

He
said that it was only proper to place emphasis on academic
qualification because entry to universities in any country
was based on academic achievement and not marks on co-curricular
activities.

The
minister said that co-curricular activities would still be
made compulsory in schools in line with the national education
philosophy which covers academic aspects as well as the spiritual
and physical development of students.

However,
he said, for entry to IPTAs, emphasis had to be placed on
academic achievement to produce graduands of quality.

Musa
said that the Higher Education Department of his ministry
would monitor the entry of students in IPTAs to ensure that
the concept of meritocracy was implemented smoothly.

Still
on the issues of students excellent, Paliamentary Secretary
of the Education Ministry Datuk Mahadzir Mohd Khir said involvement
in extremist and other non-academic activities by students
of IPTA have been cited as one of the reasons for their failure
in the academic field.

He
explained that such external activities had left them with
little time for studies.

"At
the moment we don't have complete data. However, we received
various feedback that they (the students) spend more time
on religious activities," he said in response to a question
from Abdul Fatah Haron (Pas-Rantau Panjang) at the Dewan Rakyat
today.

He
said the failure rate of students at all IPTAs and those expelled
from the universities was about one percent of the total population
of 277,083 university students or about 2,500 students a year.

"The
number of students who fail each semester and placed under
probation is actually more that is between five and 10 percent
every year.

Abdul
Fatah earlier wanted to know the number of students who failed
due to their involvement in religious activities from 1998
until now.

Replying
to a supplementary question from Abdul Fatah, Mahadzir said
the ministry did not prevent any religious activities but
felt that students should give priority to their studies.